Lineman salary in Kansas
Median $48.86 an hour for 1,610 linemen, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Lineman pay in Kansas: the full range
Kansas ranks 23rd of 51 states for median lineman pay, and 10th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $54.23). 1,610 linemen work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $24.28 – $34.36 | $50,510 – $71,460 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $34.36 – $53.70 | $71,460 – $111,690 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $53.70 – $59.12 | $111,690 – $122,970 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Lineman pay by metro in Kansas
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | $31.01 | $52.97 | $58.73 | $57.47 | 30 | 8% above |
| Topeka | $31.02 | $52.27 | $58.86 | $53.86 | 300 | 7% above |
| Manhattan | $21.93 | $49.78 | $55.19 | $57.88 | 50 | 2% above |
| Wichita | $27.99 | $49.48 | $55.66 | $58.27 | 200 | 1% above |
| Kansas City | $28.02 | $48.91 | $52.88 | $59.09 | 980 | about the same as |
| St. Joseph | $34.71 | $48.24 | $55.83 | $61.90 | 90 | 1% below |
| Joplin | $35.55 | $46.96 | $54.80 | $51.74 | 160 | 4% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Lineman wages in Kansas over time
Table
| Year | Kansas $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $21.53 | $41.61 | $20.97 | 1,210 |
| 2000 | $21.95 | $41.04 | $22.01 | 1,240 |
| 2001 | $22.35 | $40.63 | $22.70 | 1,820 |
| 2002 | $21.27 | $38.06 | $23.33 | 1,800 |
| 2003 | $20.95 | $36.66 | $23.54 | 1,870 |
| 2004 | $22.84 | $38.93 | $23.61 | 1,910 |
| 2005 | $23.03 | $37.96 | $24.11 | 1,690 |
| 2006 | $23.66 | $37.78 | $24.41 | 1,410 |
| 2007 | $24.06 | $37.36 | $25.27 | 1,650 |
| 2008 | $25.44 | $38.04 | $26.49 | 1,770 |
| 2009 | $26.59 | $39.90 | $27.24 | 1,760 |
| 2010 | $26.96 | $39.80 | $27.90 | 1,670 |
| 2011 | $28.07 | $40.18 | $28.94 | 1,710 |
| 2012 | $28.23 | $39.58 | $30.41 | 2,260 |
| 2013 | $30.31 | $41.89 | $30.85 | 2,340 |
| 2014 | $32.67 | $44.43 | $31.70 | 2,870 |
| 2015 | $32.90 | $44.69 | $31.95 | 1,960 |
| 2016 | $34.43 | $46.18 | $32.70 | 1,750 |
| 2017 | $35.81 | $47.03 | $33.36 | 1,520 |
| 2018 | $36.54 | $46.85 | $34.09 | 1,430 |
| 2019 | $36.22 | $45.61 | $34.86 | 1,670 |
| 2020 | $40.34 | $50.18 | $36.07 | 1,530 |
| 2021 | $46.41 | $55.14 | $37.65 | 1,490 |
| 2022 | $43.28 | $47.61 | $39.59 | 1,560 |
| 2023 | $46.76 | $49.41 | $41.07 | 1,530 |
| 2024 | $49.23 | $50.53 | $44.50 | 1,500 |
| 2025 | $48.86 | $48.86 | $45.83 | 1,610 |
In today's dollars, the median lineman wage in Kansas changed by +9.3% over the last ten years of data and by +7.1% since 2019.
Are there more lineman jobs in Kansas?
BLS counted 1,610 linemen in Kansas in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 9%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for linemen in Kansas
Kansas's labor market agency projects the number of linemen in the state to change by +0.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,480 to 1,480, with about 110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,610 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Kansas labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Kansas?
Keep comparing
Lineman pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Kansas
More on Kansas
Questions this page answers
How much do linemen make in Kansas?
The median lineman in Kansas earned $48.86 an hour ($101,620 a year) in May 2025, 7% above the national median of $45.83. The middle half earn $34.36–$53.70; the top 10% earn more than $59.12.
Where does Kansas rank for lineman pay?
Kansas ranks 23rd of 51 states for lineman pay, with a median of $48.86 an hour, and 10th after adjusting for Kansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).
What is the union lineman rate in Kansas?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a lineman classification for most Kansas counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many linemen work in Kansas?
BLS counted 1,610 linemen in Kansas in May 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.33; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is lineman work growing in Kansas?
Kansas's labor market agency projects +0.2% growth for linemen between 2024 and 2034, from 1,480 to 1,480 jobs.
How many lineman openings a year are there in Kansas?
Kansas projects about 110 openings a year for linemen over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 10,900 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas and metro areas, SOC 49-9051. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Kansas labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.